An American Werewolf in Counselling
by OverHereNow
Summary: In which Wes is a werewolf and there are hunters, wolves, cats, bickering and of course therapy.


**I don't own Common Law. **

An American Werewolf in Counselling

People always think that being a werewolf being a werewolf would be so cool. In actual fact it is a pain in Wes's side. For one night mouth he is forced to shred his human form, shed his nice blazers and shirt and ties and become something less than a man. It eats at his self control gnawing at his sanity and temper until skin becomes fur and all that's left is the animal. After the full moon he is as close to human as he can get, his skin no longer prickles and the temper that is caged under his skin is soothed for a while at least. It is easier to bear Travis in those days. His antics become funny instead of irritating; his eating habits are normal and not annoying.

Wes hates his wolf side, it is wild uncontrollable and he is afraid that one day he will lose his temper in the middle of the station, transform and tear Travis's throat out with his fangs. He hates the fact that he will wake up curled around a dustbin with the taste of blood in his mouth and when he throws up he knows he will find a half digested cat. He hates that,it's why Alex left him after he told her the truth of why he would spend all nights out in the night. He hates the mood swings and the animal rage of being caged in the very things that make him human.

Sure it comes with a few good things, the advanced senses has helped him save his partners life on occasion and the healings not bad either. But he can't look people in the eye easily, smells are often too strong for him to deal with which gives him a blinding headache and tend to make him even angrier.

Travis does not help. He pushes and pushes until Wes pulls his gun on him or until he swings a punch. He has to get the anger out otherwise he'll snap and kill, coat his fangs red and enjoy every moment as he gorges on their flesh. The very thought makes him sick. His OCD tendencies help, the structure and habits such as clicking pens releases his rage, the unfortunate side effect is that it drives Travis mad which makes him irritating.

"Do you ever get tired of being you?" Travis asks him once.

He smirks bitter and tried "occasionally" he replies wryly "often actually" and he has never spoken a truer word in his life.

He opens the door to his new apartment with a sigh. It's not home yet and his wolf self does not like it here. But it is close to some wasteland and it is easy for his wolf self to get down the fire escape and out into the wild, to prevent it from tearing apart the flat. Plus he can no longer hide inside his wolf self from the hotel staff after a sight mishap with a rather large pile of rubbish that the wolf had scavenged.

He dumps his gun down on the table slings his tie down on the arm chair and sinks into the sofa. He closes his eyes and lays his head back to look up at the ceiling. He has to admit dealing with Travis has become easier since his couples counselling thing started. It is the full moon tonight and the wolf itches under his skin, the rage builds even now without anything to annoy him.

A click snaps him awake. Two men look down at him and he has time to think "oh shit" before he blacks out.

He wakes with a head ache, his shirt and necklace has been removed. He feels an involuntary shiver, he got the necklace from a crazy homeless lady had thrust into his hand as he walked by. "For your curse" she had said smiling at him with blackened teeth and then she had gone like a shadow in mist. To be truthful the necklace had helped, he remembered the full moon now instead of the mindless blur it had become and it calmed him when he was truly angry.

He feels the full moon itch under his skin and his eyes yellow as his wolf rolls under his skin ready to transform. To his horror he realises he is not alone, Travis is also tied to a chair in the room. His shirt and all jewellery has been removed too, he groans when Wes kicks his chair.

He blinks in surprise "Wes? What the hell is going on?" he is groggy but alert enough to know this is not normal.

"I don't know" Wes manages to reply as his partner becomes more lucid.

"It looks like a warehouse" says Travis straining against his bonds.

With a cold rush Wes realises that whoever took them knows what he is and wants him to kill Travis. He keens to himself, horror and sorrow mingling with the needles pricking their way through his skin he has heard of the Hunters from the only other person like him he has ever met and they must have proof that a wolf has killed before they can kill him. "Why are you doing this?!" he yell to the ceiling "I've never hurt anyone."

There are footsteps and a women slides into view "well Detective Marshall" she says "we want to kill you, although we are bound by certain rules before we can kill a creature such as yourself. You must kill a human in order for it to be a just kill."

Travis laughs as if her suggestion is absurd ""look lady Wes and I hate each other, but he aint gonna kill we. Right Wes?"

Wes can't meet his eyes, he ignores his partners shocked gaze and turns to the women "please don't make me." He wouldn't normally beg for anything, but to save Travis he is willing to bare his throat to the enemy. He may not have killed anyone but he that is because that he has kept himself away from people, he has no idea how the wolf will react to Travis. It will probably kill him and Wes would either have to live with that or be killed by the hunters who have deliberately orchestrated this so they can kill him.

The women smiles as if amused by his pleas "it's not up to me anymore" she says as the full moon blazes its cold fire down upon him.

His transformation is painful as always, the ever swelling rage builds to a crescendo and he shrugs of his human skin as if it was one of his dress shirts. This time it's even more painful with the ropes wrapped around his wrists and ankles and the emotional pain of killing his best friend.

He locks eyes with Travis as he transforms trying to convey his guilt and sorrow. His blue eyes darken to yellow and with one easy spasm that runs from his head to his toes he melts into oblivion.

The wolf wakes as usual, furiously hungry and willing to slack its hunger on anything that moves. He is confused normally he wakes to a cool breeze becoming his way out side and on a soft pillow of fabric, not on the cold hard floor with snakes wrapped around his body.

The snakes shake of easily as he rolls onto all fours. Fear lingers in his belly something he has no understanding of. Fear turns to angry and a growl rips through him. Fear is for prey he is a wolf, he has never known fear.

There are four humans in the room one stinks of the prey sent the others of cool anticipation. He takes a step forward intending to go for the rich promising sent of blood and food that steeps from the human lashed to the chair. However something stops him, all four paws sticking to the ground. The food sent turns familiar latching into a part of his brain that tell him that this human is his, to protect and kill for, one of his pack. He freezes he's never had a pack before. He settles himself down onto his haunches to think, pack is not to be harmed, at least not permanently and it appears that the other three humans want him to harm this pack member.

His thinking is interrupted by a sharp wailing that makes him jump and cower against the wall.

"It is the police" snap's the female angrily "which of you idiots got spotted?"

The door is flung open and flooded with people. There is shouting and gun shots. The wolf presses his ears down flat, he doesn't like has never been near so many humans before. His eyes lock with the pack brother who is still lashed to the chair. There is something in the man's eyes, horror and fear are most prominent, but so is confusion. The noise, the flashing red and blue lights and the new instincts rushing through the wolf become too much. He locks into his fight or flight instinct. He takes off at a speed that is unprecedented. Projectiles ping of the ground with ear shattering thunder and one buries itself in his shoulder. He makes it outside only to bowled over by a strange creature that growls and flashes different coloured lights.

In pain and drenched with sweat and blood he drags himself into the darkness of an alleyway and away into the night.

When Wes wakes his joints ache. He is curled up inside a bin this time, on an actually comfortable bed of cardboard. His belly feels full but as he does not feel like throwing up it is probably not some small furry animal.

He heaves himself out of the bin and onto the ground. He is naked of course, and streaked with blood and grime. Blood cakes his hair leaving interesting patterns of pooling and splatter. He kicks his aching head into gear as he tries to orient himself and work out a way to get home without being picked up for public indecency.

He recognises the ally as a short cut to Travis's and then feels like a stone has been dropped down his spine. Travis knows and now like Alex he would leave Wes too. But it is the best option and with a sinking stomach he walks the short distance to Travis's home.

He lets himself in, for a police officer Travis is far too trusting leaving his key in a place that is easily guessed and stolen. But before he can unlock the door Travis opens it.

His partner is pale but lets him in without protest, grapping him the throw from the sofa to wrap around him. "Where the hell have you been?" Travis asks.

Wes laughs bitterly "to be honest I have absolutely no idea" he says honestly "although I ended up in a dumpster behind a bakery."

"What are you?" Travis jumps in with the most important question; it's what makes him a good police officer."We were in that warehouse and you just changed… into that thing…"

Wes feels the wolf stir in his chest waking to his emotional distress he stomps on it hard, this is all of its fault if it didn't exist they wouldn't have gotten targeted, they would still have Alex and he wouldn't be in couples counselling because of its oppressive need to protect and hurt in the same measure.

He steals himself to answer the question "honestly Travis I don't know what the hell I am, it started in my teens and never went away."

He waits for what Alex said to him, what his parents said to him "I'm not afraid of you" in a solemn tone, then for them to slowly leave him.

Instead a big grin begins to form on Travis's face "I always knew werewolves existed."

Blindsided by this reaction Wes blinks "I am so not a werewolf."

Travis nods hard "yeah you are, you turned into a wolf, on a full moon I checked the lunar cycle." Wes feels his eyes roll as he settles down onto the sofa because the first thing Travis cheeks after getting kidnapped and watching his partner turn into a wolf is to cheek the Luna cycle. "I mean you got shot last night" Travis continues "you should have died, but no you have awesome werewolf healing powers… no wander you got so grumpy when you were on a cleansing diet, you wanted meat."

Wes sighs "Travis I am not a werewolf."

Travis ignores him "lovely bloody raw meat, fresh of a carcass, still warm and fresh. Do you eat people? Because dude I would have to arrest you for that."

Wes pulls a face "No Travis as far as I know the biggest thing I've ever eaten like that is a cat."

Travis pales but looks intrigued at the disgusting idea "how did you know it was a cat?"

Wes groans because he just had to ask "because I was throwing it up for two days."

Travis groans "dude that's gross" but he sounds almost gleeful about it "tell me more."

Wes shifts uncomfortably suddenly aware that he is sitting partially naked on his best friends sofa with the gunk of a los Angeles back ally still smeared all over him. "I would love to Travis, but if I am not mistaken we have work in just over an hour and I would really like a shower."

The last part comes out as a plea, much to his disgust; Travis's face sobers sharp green eyes suddenly taking in Wes's state. "I'll get you some cloths; I think I have some of your things here."

Wes retreated to the shower taking his time, sighing with relief as the hot needles wash away the grime. By the time he's dressed he feels almost human.

Wes is cooking bacon when he comes out of the bathroom. "You want something to eat?" he asks flipping over the slices.

Wes shakes his head, he is full from whatever disgusting crap the wolf ate "no thanks I already ate."

He drinks coffee black as he watches Travis eat. They don't talk just sit in silence, it is the nicest morning after a full moon that Wes has ever had. As they head out the door Travis asks "are you sure you want to go into today? You look awful."

Wes shakes his head he wants to go home and sleep and his leg still hurts "I'd better go in they are probably wandering were I am and I need to get my necklace back from evidence."

Travis sighs "after you turned the police turned up" Wes nodded absently "well I didn't exactly tell that that you were kidnapped to, I told them that the other chair was just like that when I woke up." He holds out the silver necklace.

Wes is simultaneously grateful and furious. Travis shouldn't have had to lie to their friends, he should have told the truth about where Wes was rather than cover things up, but he's grateful to he doesn't have to think up some half arsed excuses of how he got out of the ropes and where he's been for the past nine hours.

The station is buzzing when they get there. Half of them had seen Wes in wolf form but the general consensus is that it belonged to the crazy people who kidnapped them. "If you see it, try to keep it alive," says the chief during briefing that morning "it is after all a poor beautiful creature that we should love and respect." A quiet groan rolls around the room as another of the chiefs new age therapy crap comes to life. "It is hurt" continues the chief "poor thing got hit by Maddox's cruiser and the poor thing was shot." Tears grow in the chiefs eyes "I'm not saying we should actively look for it animal control has that responsibility, but keep an eye for the poor lost thing."

Travis grins evilly, so evilly that Wes knows he will find a lamb chop in his desk draw. He does but since it's the day after the full moon he is feeling rather mellow, he just chucks it at Travis's head, fights the urge to lick the bloody paper it was on and gets on with his paper work.

They don't talk about it as a general rule. They are men after all, they don't talk about feeling and the weird things that happens to them. Wes has noticed that Travis is a little more jumpy around him particularly at night on stakeout. Other than that it is normal, they work cases they fight and argue and go to the dam couples counselling.

"I have discovered this week that Wes has a wild side" Travis says at their next group meeting. Wes grits his teeth, its nearing the full moon so the wolf rolls under his skin responding to his irritation.

"I do not" he growls under his breath.

Typically Travis ignores him "I mean one minuet he's fine the next he is a fully growling beast ready to tear my head off."

"And how does this make you feel?" asks the doc.

Travis shrugs "a little scared, but mainly it's good to know that Wes has a flaw like us mere mortals. Plus now I get to tease him about his little furry problem."

Wes glowers "well it's nice to know that you have finally managed to finish the third Harry Potter book" he snarks, it's a defences mechanism the doc told him "how long did it take you one year? two?"

The doc fixes him with a glare "Wes how do you feel about Travis knowing about your wild side?"

Wes sobers and really thinks about it, Travis knowing about the wolf has made things easier, he doesn't have to focus on hiding it from him which frees up his head for cases. "Okay I guess, I think if somebody's got to know the best person to know is Travis."

"Did you really mean that?" asks Travis after the session "that you are okay with me knowing? You've been weird all week."

Wes shrugs "I don't have to hide it from you anymore, makes things easier." He shakes himself "a lot easier, except for the teasing that does my head in." The rest of the group try to pry out the secret of Wes's wild side from them both but they both remain tight lipped. The doc watches them with satisfaction they are learning how to get along now, at last.

The next full moon the wolf breaks out of the wasteland, Wes wakes up on Travis's porch. Travis is awake sitting in a deck chair opposite him.

"What the hell happened?" he asks when the grogginess leaves him.

Travis shrugs "you just kind of appeared out of nowhere after the sun went down, we played fetch and you let me rub your tummy." Wes pins him with a glare that would have stripped paint and Travis waves his hands in defence "okay maybe not the tummy thing but fetch that defiantly happened..."

They settle into the customary arguing but it is without any sign of bitterness or loathing. Its way to early on a drizzly Monday morning, Wes is tired from his wild night on four feet and he desperately wants a coffee. Last night he turned into something out of a Hollywood film, he is filthy but he's happier he's been in a long time and for now at least life is good. It seems that therapy does help after all.

**Yes Wes is a werewolf, just a random plot I got in my head hope you like it :) let me know if I spelt anything wrong.**


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